‘Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.’ That’s a simple but profound quote left to us by Billy Graham. But prayer seems to be the subject of a great many questions. How come? If you have questions, don’t feel bad. You’re in good company! The disciples had questions, too. They said to Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray. Jesus’ response is what we call the Lord’s Prayer or Model Prayer. But that’s not the only place we can learn about prayer.

Model Prayer: OLD TESTAMENT

Exodus 32 is a great primer on prayer. Moses went to Mt. Sinai to receive God’s law. He came down to find God’s people worshiping a golden calf. Something very important happened between those two events.

God told Moses to go down to the people. Then He told Moses to: Leave Me alone so My anger may burn against this sinful people – Exodus 32:10). If that happened, the people would be destroyed. While God could have remade the nation out of Moses and his descendants, Moses offered a prayer that can still teach us a great deal.

“O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'”

Prayer: What IS & ISN’T Said

Present in this prayer: 1) Desire for God’s glory, 2) Desire for God’s fame among the nations, 3) Desire that God not be mocked in the eyes of men.

Wanting another person to receive glory, fame, and not be mocked is easy to define as love. Love seeks the good of its object. To pray like Moses is more than a repetition of his words. It requires in us a passion for God and His glory. It requires a passion to see Him lifted up, even if that means I (the one praying) am not seen or noticed. He is the object of our affection and our prayers should be for His good, His glory, and His honor.

Truth will set you free. That’s what Jesus said. And that is true on so many levels. Just a few verses after Jesus connected Truth and freedom He said something that tells us why we have trouble with Truth and the freedom it brings. You and I struggle daily against an enemy. And Jesus called that enemy the father of lies. We live between the freedom that Truth offers and the bondage of the lies that constantly come our way. This post shares one example. But the subject is so vast this may well turn into a series. Stay tuned!

Truth & Prayer

I grew up in the pastor’s house. And I remember a woman who was part of our church for a period of time. Her husband had abandoned her and their two small children. Her car was an essential part of her life since she was a single-parent provider for her family. The car needed repairs and repair costs presented a significant challenge. She shared that need with her pastor (my dad), and he asked her a fairly simple question:

Have you prayed about it?

She said she had not because that was too small a thing to bother God about. Where did she pick up that lie? What a burden to think we must face certain challenges without help from our Almighty, Heavenly Father!

Truth: God Is In The Details

The One who numbers the hairs on our heads is obviously into the details of life! There is nothing too small to escape His notice and care. And I was reminded of that in my Bible reading plan. Monday’s passage was from the book of Exodus.

In Exodus 20 we see Moses receiving the 10 Commandments. And in Exodus 32 God sent Moses back down the mountain to deal with the golden calf. Between those two events is a long conversation about details. God told Moses how to build the Tabernacle and everything that was going to go into it. No detail was left out. I challenge you to read these chapters and notice the detail of God’s instructions. We don’t have much trouble knowing God cares about the big stuff. But like that woman from my youth, we sometimes fail to link Him with the details. And who is it that would have us think that way?

Truth: God Is Working For My Success

If I had been in Moses’ place my mind would have been racing from one detail to another and wondering how in the world I’d get it all done. God was meticulous in His instructions to Moses. But notice what else He did. God did not leave Moses to his own devices or abilities. Exodus 31 opens with God’s provision. And those two things go together. God commands/instructs and He provides.

God told Moses what needed to be done and then told Moses who had been given the abilities to get the job done. Jehovah Jireh provided wisdom and understanding to others so that His commands could be carried out. And that is how He works. He enables us to succeed in obedience. This truth is repeatedly shown in Scripture.

So here is the chain of events. God:

Called Moses and gave him instructions

Chose a helper for Moses

Provided the knowledge and skill for the one He designated to help Moses

If you see nothing else, see that God was working for Moses to succeed. And that sets up what you need to see for today!

Truth: God Doesn’t Change

Does God still do things that way? I can tell you, He does. Truth is liberating. God hasn’t left you clueless about the details of His Kingdom. And He hasn’t left you clueless about your responsibilities as a child of the King. He has given you at least one spiritual gift. This is a tangible indicator of what you need to be doing to serve Him. It’s just like that conversation on Mt. Sinai. Not only does your Father gift you for His work, He has also given you more than one helper to join you in the task.

You are a living stone among living stones. God has placed pastors in churches to equip the saints (YOU) for the work of the ministry. He has also put your brothers and sisters around you so you may enjoy, with them, joint-service for Him.

He is so good, and His goodness to us is beyond our ability to comprehend or imagine! Be encouraged, and seek Him in these details. And always take a moment to breathe a prayer for His help. He is ever ready and more than able! That’s the truth…

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Prayer Love Makes

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, we know Jesus’ response as The Lord’s Prayer. Were they looking for a ‘formula’ in order to get prayer ‘right’ every time? Probably. Do we do the same thing? So let me ask, what kind of prayer does a person pray if they are deeply in love with God? Let’s see one!

Exodus 32 is a marvelous primer on prayer. Moses went to Mt. Sinai to receive the Law of God. He came down to find the people worshiping a golden calf. We often skip, or don’t remember, what happened between those two events.

God told Moses to go down (v. 7) because the people are engaged in idolatry. God then told Moses to leave Him alone (v. 10) so His anger could burn against the sinful people. If that happened, the people would be destroyed. God is capable of making a nation out of Moses and his descendants. Moses then (v. 11) begins a great prayer and it teaches us a great deal regarding prayer. Look at it:

“O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'”

There are some notable absentees in Moses’ prayer. Notice:

No personal requests

No focus on Moses (the one praying)

No list of needs

We should also note of what is present in Moses’ prayer –

A desire for God’s glory

A desire for God’s fame (positive reputation) among the nations

A desire for Goo to be exalted for Who He is

That’s a prayer offered in love. Love seeks the good of its object. In Moses’ case, the Object of his prayer was God. He wanted God to be seen and exalted among the nations in His great, radiant glory. To pray like Moses will not be a repetition of his words. However, it will require in our own circumstances, a passion for God and His glory. We must deisre to see Him uplifted even if that means I (the one praying) am not seen or noticed at all. He is the Object of our affection and our prayers should be for His good, His glory, and His honor. In the New Testament, this is what Jesus meant when He told us to pray in His name. Think about it!